University teacher of the year
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WSU launches drones
Sky’ s the limit for university’ s new research and teaching unit.
Western Sydney University will become the first Sydney-based university to formalise its drone operations when it launches its Drone Research and Teaching Unit( DRTU) this year. Led by Dr Sebastian Pfautsch, the unit will use drone technology both for teaching courses in engineering, forensics, environmental sciences, tourism and urban planning, and for research including urban mapping, fauna and bridge surveying, drought assessment and agriculture.
Pfautsch said both university courses and local communities would benefit from access to new aerial technologies.
“ Initially used for aerial surveillance by military, police and firefighting authorities, in recent years drones have become popular for a rapidly increasing number of applications,” he said.
“ Drones are regularly used in the agriculture, forestry and natural resource management sectors, as well as in the real estate, film and traffic industries. A growing number are also used for recreation, and within universities we will use them for research and teaching purposes.
“ In Australia, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority( CASA) regulates the use of drones, which it defines as being either commercial or recreational. Currently, there is no classified use for research and education purposes.”
Pfautsch clarified that under DRTU, all drone operations at the university would be considered commercial.
Staff will be able to book and hire drone equipment, access mapping software applications and receive a remote pilot licence.
The university will also negotiate with CASA to use drones in designated‘ no fly’ zones such as the area surrounding the Hawkesbury campus, located near the Richmond RAAF base. ■
University teacher of the year
“ Inspiring” QUT professor takes out top teaching award for his significant contribution to robotics education.
Photo: QUT
Queensland University of Technology professor Peter Corke has been honoured with the Australian University Teacher of the Year award for his instruction in robotics.
The prestigious award acknowledges an Australian academic who has an exceptional record in student teaching, educational leadership and scholarly contribution.
QUT vice-chancellor Professor Peter Coaldrake congratulated Corke on his“ inspiring” work in robotics education.
“ Peter Corke’ s highly effective and engaging approach to learning and teaching is founded on his deep passion for robotics, his world-class research and a desire to make learning in robotics accessible to all,” Coaldrake said.
“ Peter is a champion for the teaching / research nexus, with a deep appreciation of the power of his research to inform his teaching.
“ His curricula, classroom and online interactions and guidance in hands-on experiments and robot construction invite students to explore the excitement of robotics, its contributions to our world, and to understand complex concepts so they are equipped to become the next generation of professional roboticists and leaders.
“ He has made an important and significant contribution to learning and teaching at QUT, and globally, and we are thrilled to see him recognised in this way.”
Corke’ s achievements include developing the online educational resource Robot Academy and a series of MOOCs. He also wrote the popular textbook Robotics, Vision and Control, and is director of the Australian Centre for Robotic Vision.
Coaldrake also congratulated QUT’ S Associate Professor Laura Gregory, who received the Award for Teaching Excellence in the health category.
Seventeen teaching excellence awards were presented across eight categories. The Australian Awards for University Teaching( AAUT) are hosted by the Australian government.
Earlier this year, three other QUT lecturers were recognised with AAUT awards: Professor Fiona Naumann( Faculty of Health), Associate Professor Nicolas Suzor( Faculty of Law) and Dr Deanna Grant-Smith( QUT Business School). ■
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